1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical overvoltage protector terminals and housings, sometimes referred to as electrical surge protectors or lightning arresters, used to protect telephone transmission lines against voltage surges, and more particularly, relates to an insulated housing configuration and protection terminal which requires that the telephone transmission lines be removed from the terminal when the overvoltage protector device is removed and/or replaced and requires reconnection of the lines when a new protector device is installed.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Surge arresters or protection devices known in the prior art generally include a housing that contains a pair of spaced apart electrodes and a means for maintaining a protector cartridge between the electrodes. The protector cartridge may contain a pair of spaced apart carbon terminals or gas tubes that define an arc or a discharge gap therebetween in order to ground excessive line voltages for protecting both the equipment on the line and the line itself. With repeated overvoltage conditions and arc discharges, the carbon gap loses its effectiveness and the gas tube may also fail. Typical arresters, which may include fusing links and internal shorting mechanisms so that when an overvoltage occurs the fusing link melts providing a short from the line electrode to ground, are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,128,855 issued to Gilberts on Dec. 5, 1979; Re. 29,391 issued to Kwiecki on Sept. 6, 1977; and 3,707,665 issued to Yereance, et al on Nov. 21, 1972.
All of these devices operate similarly, with each of them having a common shortcoming. By removal of the overvoltage protector device the line remains open, thereby providing no protection for the line or the equipment attached thereto. The communication line itself is not disturbed in order to remove the protector device. Therefore, if a service technician does not replace the defective protector device with a new unit, the telephone line will remain in operating order but will be unprotected for voltage transients.
It is well known that when a service technician dispatched to repair a shorted protector device, upon occasion not having a replacement device available, will return the protector cartridge without inserting the protector device therein. This condition could cause considerable damage should an overvoltage occur on the line, because there is no indication that the protector mechanism is missing. The terminal or line, when checked from the telephone line central office, will read "open" to ground and will indicate that the line is in good working order.